Alaska City Sightseeing Tours

Tucked inside the lush Tongass National Forest, discover an Alaskan botanical garden unlike anywhere else in the world. A 2012 Reader's Digest poll chose Glacier Gardens out of thousands of entries as the Most Interesting Landmark in America! Vibrant hanging gardens spill from 15-foot-tall upside down tree “Flower Towers” and elegantly designed landscapes compliment the natural beauty of the rainforest.  Explore these unique gardens on a guided tour in a covered vehicle, then travel through 50 acres of temperate rainforest.

The Hurricane Turn Train operates on Thursday through Sunday between Talkeetna and Hurricane Gulch from mid May to mid September. You can either take a scenic journey round trip, or you can ask to be let off at whichever mile marker you choose. This train is how many people who live in the backcountry gain access to their homes or cabins. It is also popular for fishermen who gain access to some great fishing spots by train. Get back on the train with the wave of a flag.

This train travels through the forested areas north of Anchorage into the boreal forest, and eventually into the tundra regions further north. On a clear day the train will slow down to allow you to see beautiful vistas of Denali. You may also spot wildlife along the way.

• Day Trip from Anchorage: Talkeetna Day Trip from Fairbanks: Denali
• Multi-Day Trip from Anchorage: Talkeetna, Denali National Park, and / or Fairbanks
• Multi-Day Trip from Fairbanks: Denali, Talkeetna, and / or Anchorage

Skagway may be a quaint small town, but it offers a big lens into the Alaska frontier. This tour operator—run by a certified Naturalist for the state of Alaska—offers a friendly and fascinating way to explore some surprising depths of the Alaska wilderness. Options include private tours ranging from 2 to 7 hours that explores the sights of British Columbia and the Yukon

Ride the rails on a real gold-rush era, narrow-gauge railroad from Skagway into the heart of the Yukon. On the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, you’ll have several trip options, taking you past glacial rivers, waterfalls, and gorges for a real taste of wild Alaska. You’ll feel like you’ve gone back in time on this authentic train, as you climb 3,000 feet to scenic vistas and past aptly-named spots named Inspiration Point and Dead Horse Gulch on your way to get a look at the headwaters of the famous Yukon River.

For Anchorage visitors without rental cars who want to hike Alaska's most frequently climbed mountain, here's your ride to and from the trailhead.  In a nutshell, this service provides a 30-mile (low key) circuit tour of Anchorage and an unguided mountain hike.

The Coastal Classic train runs between Anchorage and the town of Seward—a four-hour trip that’s the most beautiful along the entire Alaska Railroad. You’ll see Turnagain Arm as the train departs Anchorage, then a panorama of mountains, glaciers, lakes, and streams. You may even see wildlife like Dall sheep, Beluga whales, moose, bear, and more!

• Day Trip from Anchorage: Seward, Girdwood
• Multi-Day Trip from Anchorage: Overnight Seward, or add a stop in Girdwood

A lot of companies offer Anchorage city tours, but very few of them visit this many sites, are guided by locals, and use vans instead of motorcoaches. With Salmon Berry Tours, you’ll travel the city in the comfort of a van, with an Alaskan guide who will take you on a historic and scenic spin around the city. Or, try the Glacier Turn trip which includes Portage Glacier, Turnagain Arm, Mt. Alyeska Tramway, the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. It's an amazing combination of glaciers, mountains, and wildlife making this one of the classic itineraries out of Anchorage.

Step aboard Anchorage's first trolley. Relax and enjoy the ride while your guide shows you the sites and attractions of Anchorage. You'll see the Alaska Railroad, Lake Hood (the world’s largest and busiest float-plane base), mysterious Earthquake Park, Cook Inlet, Anchorage Museum, shopping areas, and restaurants. Your ride is fully narrated, and the trolley is heated and enclosed.

The train can be used as a mode of transportation, however it can also be a round-trip sightseeing excursion. This primary destination is the town of Whittier, a major cruise ship and afternoon day cruise hub.

• Day Trips from Anchorage: Whittier, Girdwood, Spencer Glacier, Grandview

Every now and then in Alaska—where the weather can change quickly—a great indoor activity comes in handy. But this unique year-round attraction, where a family or a group of friends solves a mystery while “locked” indoors, makes a fun diversion even when the skies are clear outside.

If you're a beer snob—or just like soaking up the personality of a city through its brewpubs—this creative tour company offers a few different tours, each of which provide an interesting look at  life in Alaska, as well as through a taste of the state's legit craft beer industry. The Anchorage Brews Tour, is a short, 3.5 hour local brewery tour. Hops on the Rail tour combines breweries between Anchorage and Talkeetna with a ride on The Alaska Railroad, and Alaska Crafted allows you to sample brews, cider, and visit the largest distillery in Alaska. 

These tours in the Palmer area, about 40 miles from Anchorage, appeal to all five senses. You’ll take guided walks around the farms, touching plants, breathing in the air and sometimes even tasting something freshly picked. But there is also a lot of storytelling, learning about the unique challenges that Alaska farmers face. Some tours offer option to sample other local products like Alaska beer and birch syrup.

Explore Juneau on foot with your local guide, who will highlight details from the mining era back in the late 1800s to the modern city of today. Visit the State Capital Building, the Governor’s Mansion and the Russian Orthodox Church, with plenty of photo stops along the way.

Bike the Coastal Trail or Mountain Bike in Kincaid Park!  Exploring Anchorage on a bike is an affordable, independent, year-round outdoor activity. More than 140 well-maintained bikes of all types. On their website you’ll find photos and specs of each bike and a separate page for each of Anchorage's four green belt bike paths.

Want to liven up your sightseeing experience in Anchorage? Explore the ins and outs of downtown on a motorized two-wheeled Segway. Gliding effortlessly down the sidewalk with a small group and informative tour guides is a popular way to experience the best of Anchorage in a short amount of time.

Anchorage may be Alaska’s big city, but this bicycle tour operator offers quick proof that the city has a lot of wilderness. Choose your ride based on half-day or full-day options, as well as difficulty. You’ll go from downtown to Mother Nature—with mountains, coastal views, and the occasional moose sighting—in no time at all.  Better yet, the tours often include beer tastings or lunch.

Some people love the view of Alaska from the side of a ship, or from above in a bush plane. But this cycle shop and tour operator based in Haines and Skagway proves that there's nothing quite like the view of Alaska from atop two wheels, as you glide through the gorgeously unique scenery. Its day trips are a fabulous way for independent travelers and cruise passengers to take a detour on their voyage, enjoying a different pace and perspective on the Alaska frontier. The day trips, with a 6-to-1 ratio of travelers to guides, last from just under three hours to a full day. 

This Southeast Alaska tour operator has its own definition of the Easy Rider: You can take this scenic tour, driving a scooter or motorcycle, with the wind blowing in your hair—but with no stress or hassle. As the only scooter company in Skagway, this tour offers an active way to explore the area—but caters to anyone from thrill-seekers to older families (you need to be 18+ with a valid driver’s license) and little old ladies.

Take a spin through Juneau on a fun bike tour. It’s a great way to explore Alaska’s capital city, with lots of scenery and history along the way. Choose from one of several options. There’s a bike and brew tour, which includes seeing the Mendenhall Glacier as well as a tasting of Alaskan beers. Or ride your bike out to Douglas Island for a tram ride, 1,800 feet up Mt. Roberts for some spectacular views. Or custom design your own great bike trip through Juneau.

Step into the underworld of Anchorage—a hidden gathering of ghosts and spirits—on this walking tour through some of the city’s most haunted sites. It’s the most unsual perspective you can get of Alaska’s largest metropolis.

Join Alaska Photo Treks as they go hunting for the best light of the day, which during summer at this latitude can last for several glorious hours before sunset. You'll be transported to scenic locations around Southcentral Alaska to shoot a variety of enchanting subjects. The itinerary is flexible and allows for spontaneous stops to photograph wildlife en route.  

These tours out of Haines offer an up-close nature experience with insights from knowledgeable local guides. There are two options. The first tour is a wildlife tour that focuses on finding and learning about wildlife. The second one is a photography tour where you take pictures to share back at home, and get the chance to enhance your photography skills—just when you can benefit from it most.

The 7- to 9-hour tour out of Anchorage's Lake Hood is led by a photographer-pilot whom has published photos in such magazines as Air and Space, Stearns and National Geographic. Set up for the best shots, every passenger gets a window seat and a two-way headset for pilot narration—you’ll have a stunning ride filled with photo ops of rugged mountains, glacial pools and ice blue glaciers. Then, you’ll land on a remote waterway to take photos on the ground.

Interested in learning how to smoke fish, make rugs, or carve spoons—from a teacher who’s a local Alaskan? At the Homer Folk School, those locals pass along their unique skills, which come from a variety of traditions. Topics vary, but every class allows travelers and locals to get a deeper understanding of Alaska.

Photograph alpenglow on snow capped mountains, frosty scenes glowing in rich winter light, wildlife wandering snowy paths, city lights reflecting on the water at twilight, and possibly even the northern lights!